The Model Prayer (AKA “The Lord’s Prayer”) – Part 6.

This is the 6th and last part of ‘The Model Prayer’ series, and today we looked at the last line as found in Matt.6:10 (NKJV), where it reads, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” Amen.

When we think of the kingdom we should think about who the King is who reigns as the ONLY Sovereign in the Universe, and look at Scriptures that speak of God’s Free Will. Unfortunately there are world-renowned Bible teachers who have stated that “the teaching of the Sovereignty of God is the worst doctrine in church today.” And this is most likely due to them presenting a straw-man argument based on the idea that such a Biblical doctrine as understood by some is that “everything is God’s will” and so therefore we sing, “Que sera sera, whatever will be will be.” But is that the Biblical Doctrine of the Sovereignty of God? What actually ends up happening is that those who oppose the Sovereignty of God exalt the “free will of man” as that which cannot be touched and that even God would never violate a man’s “free will”! Clearly those who oppose this doctrine have never read the story of Jonah found in the Bible, where quite clearly God can be very persuasive. Nor do they understand that man is bound in sin until he is regenerated (Born Again). Let me recommend two great books on this subject:

‘The Bondage of the Will’ by Martin Luther, and

‘The Freedom of the Will’ by Jonathan Edwards.

For evidence of God’s Freedom to do as He pleases, see Ps.115:3 and Ps.33:8-11. This is in opposition to the “supposed” mighty “free-will” of unregenerate men, who show their anger at God’s Sovereign control of all things (Ps.2). God ALONE has total and complete authority as ‘The ONLY Potentate, the King of kings and Lord or lords (1 Tim.1:17; 6:15). And for a NT reference, not mentioned in this message, see Matt.10:28-31.

God has 5 incommunicable attributes. Attributes that God does not share with anyone or with anything. There are:

1. God is ETERNAL (having no beginning and no end, unlike us who are created).
2. God is IMMUTABLE (not subject to change, whereas we are changing all the time).
3. God is OMNI-POTENT (having ALL POWER).
4. God is OMNI-SCIENT (having ALL knowledge, of things PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE).
5. God is OMNI-PRESENT (God’s PRESENCE is everywhere at the same time but not necessarily in the same way).

Now, since there are 3 persons mentioned in Scripture who have those 5 attributes, we can only conclude that God is 1 in BEING and yet 3 in PERSON, whom we know from the Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

Jesus certainly has ALL POWER (See Matt.28:18-20; Rom.1:4; Eph.1:20-22, and even when He stood before Pilate, Jesus said that any power or authority had to come from God above (See John 19:10-11; Rom.13:1-2; Job 1-2. This means that even the devil can’t lift a finger against us or do anything without God’s approval.

And so we close this prayer thinking about the end goal and how God may receive all the glory (See Matt.6:13b; Eph.1:3-6), which is in accordance with the FIVE SOLAS of The Reformation (1517), which are: Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, and of course, last but not least, Soli Deo Gloria (to God ALONE be Glory).

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ (Jn.16:14). See also Jn.5:23; 17:1-3). And we should seek to work with the Holy Spirit in glorifying Jesus. We do this by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice (Rom.12:1ff), and glorifying God in our body and in our spirit (1 Cor.6:19-20).

 

We should pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit (See Lk.11:13; Jn.20:22; Eph.5:18), and then ask the Lord what He would have us to do (See Acts 9:6).

I hope you have enjoyed the series, but the ultimate goal was to help you increase your prayer life to where maybe you are praying for ONE HOUR PER DAY at least!